Grey crowned - crane ,habitat and diet ,threats to survival

Grey crowned - crane

    Introduction                                                                                                                                         A spectacular , mostly blue - grey crane with a black and white face and a crown of golden yellow plumes ,  immatures are rustier than adults. singles , pairs , and flocks prefer wetlands , flooded  grasslands , and man made water bodies , but they can range widely through other open habitats when foraging . resident but may be locally nomadic in response to rain . Groups can often be detected by their low plaintive bugling "amah - hem " call . the similar black crowned crane differs in having grey coloration , smaller red facial wattles , and red and white (rather than white) cheek patches .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                               what is the grey crowned crane Grey crowned cranes are every bit as majestic as their name suggests. one of 15 species of crane , these long legged birds have grey bodies , white wings with brown and gold feathers , white cheeks , and bright red gular sacs underneath their chins , most strikingly , a spray of stiff golden feather forms a crown around their heads .crowned cranes  which also include the black crowned species (Balearica pavoninin ) are the most ancient  of the cranes , predating their relatives by tens of millions of years . the grey crowned crane is the national bird of Uganda  and has two subspecies , the eastern African grey crowned crane and southern African grey crowned crane . Unfortunately , their distinctions  have also put grey crowned cranes at risk : Considering status symbols among the wealthy , these  birds are being captured and illegally sold in large numbers . that and other threats have prompted the international union for Conservation of nature to list the grey crowned crane as  endanger .                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Habitat and diet                                                                                  Grey crowned cranes can be found in mixed wetland/grassland habitats in eastern and southern Africa , with the largest remaining populations  in Kenya , Uganda ,Zambia , and South Africa . they forage for grass seeds , small toads , insets , and other invertebrates .Grey crowned crane are also known to forage on millet , potatoes , and soya beans being grown on farms near there habitats . they roost in water or perched in high spots like trees or electricity poles . Grey crowned cranes also come together as flocks but only outside of breeding season.                                                                                 

 mating and reproduction       

                                                                    Once they meet their mates , grey crowned cranes are monogamous. couple dance together and preen one another's necks . which helps strengthen there bond . grey crowned cranes are also highly territorial  during the breeding season , which usually takes place in the rainy months when wetlands are less accessible  to predators . moving away from the flocks , breeding couples  build nest ore along the edges of the wetlands, where they lay up to four eggs at a time .                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

    threats to survival                                                                                                               Humans are one of  the greatest threats that grey crowned cranes face . while some want the birds as decorative pets to show off in their yards as status symbols , other believe their eggs and feathers have medicinal properties . widespread poaching and illegal trade not only diminish the number of cranes in the wild , but they also prevent adult cranes from tending to their nests and chicks . Instead , they must spend their time watching out for potential danger from nearby humans . those that remain in the wild have to contend with threats to their breeding grounds , which are increasingly either contaminated by pesticides or drained and converted to fields. some farmers even intentionally poison   

                                                                                                                                              cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops . grey crowned cranes also been killed in collisions with power lines . Deforestation , mining , dam construction, and climate change degrade the crane's wetland habitat.        conservation                                                                                                                               there are ongoing efforts to save grey crowned cranes .a veterinarian in Rwanda, has been working for years to abolish the trade in grey crowned cranes. his non profit , the Rwanda wildlife conservation association , works with the Rwandan government and local communities to raise awareness about the plight of these birds .combined with a government amnesty program  which encourages anyone who has captured or illegally bought grey crowned cranes to return them without penalty-Nsengimana's  non profit has had success in reintroducing these birds to the wild . there's  still much work to be done as experts estimate the grey  crowned crane's global population may have declined by as much as 79 percent  in recent decades.